Balance
by LeoOsaka Bakura's stalker
Summary: One Shot Collection; Darkness can't be destroyed only relocated... Focused on Bakura and Yami, and Bakura and Ryou. Relocating old stories.
1. Balance

_Leo: This is like a one shottish, snippet thing..._

**Balance**

The news spread fast across Egypt, like no other information in recorded history, up to that point in time. The people of Egypt almost seemed to celebrate the news, which had been tragic to the thief society.

Standing in the pharaoh's court yard several thieves, disguised as normal towns people, cried out. Their emotionless exteriors breaking as the one thief respected and loved by all other thieves was ordered to be executed.

Tied to a pole, stationed before the pharaoh's throne, the silver haired prisoner was flogged repeatedly. But the single fact that the thief did not cry out, or even show signs of pain had angered the pharaoh. He ordered the death of the thief.

The thieves in the crowd, screamed protests, not caring if they envoked the wrath of the Pharaoh's guards. The pharaoh, to them, was not their king. The silver haired ghost of the desert, tied to the pole, was. No one before him had ever claimed the title of 'king of thieves', perhaps because no one had ever been as skilled as he, so needless to say, he was very a important figure to the thief clan.

The Thief king looked up at the others, who had begun to riot. They stopped, as they met eye contact with him. He shook his head. They stared up in shock at him, pleading with their eyes, but the Thief king's decision was final. They slumped their shoulders and hung their heads low.

"What have you to say Thief?" The high priest glance down at him, with a scowl. "Normal thieves are executed with out opportunity to choose their last words, but you are no ordinary thief. A king has the given right to speak before his own execution, so what will you say King of Thieves?"

"Nothing to you!" The thief cried indignantly. "But to the pharaoh: You havn't seen the last of me. As long as your spirit lives on this earth, so will mine. You and I are Kings of our right, therefore ones of our status will always linger. It's a scale that both of us must balance, so you have not won yet."

The words of the thief were wise. He knew the balance of power. The pharaoh also knew, but he was determined to try and prove it wrong, even though he knew that he could not change the laws of humanity, no matter how hard he tried. There would always be two sides of power. And the gods had destined it to be in the shape of a young pharaoh and an even younger thief: the two most powerful individuals in Egypt and possibly even the world.

The pharaoh's solution to this reacurring chain of events was to sentence the thief to death. Then hopefully things would go back to normal, with out the threat of such a intimidating thief.

The crowds shout died to silence when the pharaoh stood. He walked toward the thief. His hand flew across the thief's face and returned back to lift up the man's chin, so they were looking eye to eye.

"I will never be in the same class as you! You filthy thief!"

"Yes, you are as we speak. You are just as mortal as I. We bleed the same, breathe the same and will both die the same. Of course you will not see this until it is your turn to die."

"Well, you will not get the pleasure of seeing that day!" The pharaoh seethed grabbing for a dagger, intent on taking the man's life himself.

"Are you sure of that? You never know where I will be hiding, in body or spirit, my fellow king. So as you kill me remember, you havn't seen the last of me. Darkness doesn't disappear, it just relocates. Pharaoh, child of the light, you cannot exhist with out me. I am the darkness, which balances the light, never forget that!"

"This is the last of your days thief, good riddance!" The dagger went down on the thief's displayed neck.

5000 years later, a dark shadow steps forward.

"YOU!"

"I told you pharaoh," The shadow cackled, "Darkness can't be destroyed..." The shadow faded out. "Only relocated..." The voice echoed.

Yugi shot up panting as his mind retraced the dream. 'What was that?' he thought to himself. And looked over at the unfinished puzzle sitting on his desk, next to a gold box. 'I have to finish that puzzle!' He decided crawling out of bed unaware of what destiny had in store for him.

xxx

_Leo: Okay, that was just a little snippet I did when I was bored. I though, you know it'd be interesting to see a different version of the thief and Yami, before the story started._


	2. At Fault

_Leo: This is a little one shot, very slight, maybe even transparent one sided RyouxBakura. Warning: If you're depressed, this may only make it worse O.o_

**At Fault**

I never thought it would happen. And maybe that's naïve of me to think considering the situation. But to be honest I never thought he'd get so bad. Now I know it's not fair of me to blame it on him. He tried. He tried to fit in with the rest of the world. But he never really could. It was if he was afraid of the possibility of being a part of the world.

He always was the secluded one. I usually never pressed him into much. Maybe every now and then I'd convince him to go with us to a movie or to the mall. And every now then he'd make a small attempt to smile, or even hint one. But as of late these rare occurrences seem to have been further apart and lasted even shorter than they already were. Some times it was hard to look at him. To see the abuse he'd put himself through. How pale his skin had become and how his naturally lanky body had seemed to shrink. His eyes lost their luster and he never quite seemed to be there.

He never spoke to us about his problems, his past, or his thoughts. So none of us ever realized that every insult, every death threat, and even the occasional swing of his fist, was his cry for help. Maybe it was the thief in him that prevented him from coming forth. Maybe it was his pride. But in the end he'd stripped himself down to nothing. The pride he had in his abilities, the satisfaction of knowing that nine times out of ten he proved to be right, the fact that he knew he had the capability to do any thing he wanted…they all fell insignificant.

His pain went unnoticed for so long that he could no longer tell the difference. I had the distinct feeling that he wanted to die. But I believe he was afraid to. Whether or not I'm right doesn't matter. I do think, in my heart he couldn't do it.

It's hard to stand here. Watching him through his window. To see him clutching his head in pain as he silently screams at the voices that have finally made him snap. How he begs them, to tears, for them to stop. And how he cries out for hours. I watch him slide down the wall with both of his hands pressed on the wall as he goes down facing the cushioned wall.

He doesn't look at the window. He knows all he'll see is his own reflection in the one way glass. I don't think he can look at himself anymore. He seems too ashamed to. He never told me of the things that happened to him, the things that drove him to his insanity those many many years ago before he was sealed. These things that I know are breaking him into pieces now.

I want to stop looking but I feel guilty. It was I who brought him here, to save him from himself. And give him a chance to maybe one day recover. Despite the common belief, Bakura never hurt me. He protected me. He was there for me when all of the others weren't. He was my safety. And, well, I never thought that maybe he needed it more than I.

I can feel the tears rolling down my face. I can feel a part of my own heart breaking. For the trouble he's caused and the annoyance he may have added, he was the only one I can't live with out. I can remember the first time he ever said kind words to me. Words that weren't fake. When he told me that my life was more important that anything else to him.

I never thought…Until I walked into the apartment that day. I immediately noticed that something was wrong. Bakura had never failed to leave the lights on for when I got back from my study group late. But it was dark. The only light I found on was the bathroom light down the hall. I knew something happened. Along with it never being so dark, it was also never so quiet. Bakura loved to listen to music. And seldom ever had the radio off…But there was silence.  
Dead, utterly painful, silence.

I walked down the hall, listening for any sound. But I still didn't hear anything. I became worried like I never had been about him. I hesitantly turned the corner and stepped a foot into the bathroom. I recoiled it just as quickly as I set it was I realized I'd stepped in something.

Imagine my horror to find the red smears of blood across the white tiles. Or the even worse sight of Bakura sitting in it. So I called...He needed help. But now that I see him like this. In my mind I believe that maybe it would have been better if he'd killed himself. Now...He's unable to relieve his pain, even if he wanted to. Now he must suffer. I can't but feel like I'm at fault. I just wanted to help him. My love for him made me WANT him to get better. But I should have known. I should have known that he was beyond helping.

I loved him. I know that if maybe I'd tried to help him before...Maybe I could have reached him. But he's gone. The Bakura I knew is not longer the same. He's not the same yami I used to have. And as mean as he was I do miss him. So I have to leave him...But I'll never forget the look on his face. He will haunt me in my sleep, in my dreams. And I will always remember how I put him where he is now...I suppose that is my punishment.

Owari  
xxx

_Leo: Depressing neh? I was bored...And I managed a no dialogue oneshot! Woot!_


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